Kittens in a Thunderstorm
by Gleeks09
Summary: AU: Rachel is 8 and Quinn is 9 and together they try and hide a box of stray kittens. Along the way, they might also find a new understanding about each other. Shelby has always been a part of Rachel's life and she shares custody with Hiram and Leroy. AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – I've got a two-parter for you. Rachel is 8 and Quinn is 9 and together they try and hide a box of stray kittens. Along the way, they might also find a new understanding about each other. Shelby has always been a part of Rachel's life and she shares custody with Hiram and Leroy. **

**The basis for this idea was given to me by Lcarzemag. I hope you like it!**

**I would recommend that you read two of my other one shot stories that deal with Quinn and Rachel as kids and how they relate to each other. The first is called "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" and the second is called "Skinned Knees and Ice Cream Cones." They will help a lot with understanding where Rachel and Quinn are coming from in this little story. **

**Thank you all so much. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer – I don't own Glee. **

Rachel knew that if Broadway didn't work out, she could be a spy. There was no doubt. She was smart. She was sneaky. And she could sing. She didn't really know if being able to sing was a pre requirement for being a spy, but she figured it couldn't hurt. If nothing else, she could play a spy on Broadway.

Rachel had been putting her spy skills to the test for at least a week now and she tried to appear as nonchalant as possible as she walked down the street away from her mother's house. It was two weeks into the new summer and Rachel was enjoying her freedom from school. The third grade had been fun, but it hadn't been her favorite year; that was still kindergarten. Quinn Fabray had arrived in the third grade and had taken the light teasing Rachel used to deal with to a whole new level. The girl had come home in tears on more than one occasion because of Quinn and the two had even been in a fight.

But Rachel had also seen another side to her blonde nemesis when Quinn had spent an afternoon with her and her mother. She thought they were going to be friends after that, but Quinn hadn't followed through. Rachel was just glad that summer was here because that meant she'd have three whole months where she wouldn't have to see the girl or even think about her. And hopefully Quinn wouldn't be in her fourth grade class. Although, if she was being honest, she'd have to admit that she had had a fun time with Quinn when they'd gotten ice cream that afternoon, but that had only made it hurt worse when Quinn bullied her next day in school.

Rachel stopped at the corner and looked back towards her house. Her mom had said she could play outside while she vacuumed and the eight-year-old knew just where she wanted to go. It wasn't far, but it also wasn't allowed. Shelby lived two houses down from the corner and Rachel was not allowed any farther than that when she played. Unbeknownst to her mother, Rachel had been testing the limits for a little while now. Only going to the corner did not give her very much room to play. Her imagination simply took up more space than that. She figured her mother would understand. She also figured that it would be best not to mention her excursions into No Man's Land to her parents just yet.

Once she made sure there were no cars coming, Rachel quickly crossed the street so she could continue on with her covert mission. The book bag she carried on her back made a little too much noise for her liking, but there wasn't much she could do about that right now. She needed that stuff, so she would have to deal with the noise.

Rachel went seven more houses down until she reached the grassy entrance to a park not many people played in. It was old and the neighborhood had organized a bigger and better one to be built a few streets over. This was as far as Rachel dared to go. And it was a good thing she did because she had made a huge discovery two days ago.

"Hi," Rachel cooed as she sat down next to the box she'd hidden in a shaded corner and pulled the blanket off the top. Six kittens looked up at her and mewed. They all started to try and climb the side of the box.

"Bernadette, wait," Rachel instructed. "Patti, don't climb on Liza." She reached in and separated some of the kittens and gently set them back down. "I brought you something."

Rachel opened her book bag and pulled out a bottle of water and a bottle of milk. It had been hard to pour the milk from the gallon jug into a normal water bottle, but Rachel always made sure to clean up the mess before her mother saw. The kittens all started to mew even louder when they saw what she had.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Rachel said. "Mom made me clean my room this morning. I wish I knew what happened to your mommy."

While she was talking, Rachel took two bowls out of her bag and set them in the grass next to her and filled each with milk. She then picked up the kittens, two at a time, and set them in the grass near the bowls. It didn't take long for all six of them to start eating.

"I wish I had more food I could bring for you," Rachel said. "But I don't know what kittens eat besides for milk and I don't have any money to buy any food."

Rachel filled the two bowls again when they became empty and the happy kittens continued to drink.

"I wish I could take you home, but my dad is allergic to cats and so we can't have one," Rachel lamented. "Even at my mom's house because my dads are always over there and even if they weren't they said I'd end up with car hair all over me. He sneezes a lot and turns red." She'd be going back to her dads' house in a couple of days and so she hadn't worried about the fact she'd been covered in kittens for two days. She'd worry about that later.

The kittens only looked up at her occasionally while she was talking. Rachel sat cross-legged in the grass and watched them. This had been her routine for the past two days. She spent as much time as she dared and then she would run back home to check in and then come back. She cried the first night she'd left them alone and Shelby thought the girl had been having a nightmare and put Rachel in bed with her.

The kittens finally finished eating and started to wander around. They never went far, but Rachel knew they needed to stretch their legs and get exercise since they always had to stay in the box otherwise.

Rachel smiled as her favorite of the six walked over to her and tried to climb into her lap. Rachel picked it up and held her close so they could cuddle. She knew she would have to go back soon, but she wanted a few more minutes.

"Rachel."

Rachel spun around quickly with wide eyes because she was worried her mother had caught her. She didn't expect to see the person she saw standing there watching her.

"Quinn."

"What are you doing?" Quinn asked. She dropped her bike to the ground and walked over to her.

"Why do you care?" Rachel retorted.

"I saw you run in here, but you never came out," Quinn shrugged. "I was riding my bike. Whose kittens are those?"

"Mine," Rachel answered. "I found them two days ago. They don't have a mommy. I didn't think you were supposed to be over here by my house."

"I'm not," Quinn said. "My mom told me that it's too far to ride by myself and my dad says that I need to stay over on our side. I didn't know we had our own side. But my mom was busy inside and she said I could go out and play. I ride down here a lot."

Rachel wished she understood why Quinn could be nice to her now and not when they were in school. Part of her wanted to tell the other girl to go away and part of her couldn't help but liking having someone her age around, even if it was mean Quinn Fabray.

"I'm not supposed to come down this far either," Rachel confided. "My mom doesn't know."

"I didn't think you ever broke the rules," Quinn said as she sat down in the grass and started to pet Bernadette.

"I didn't think you knew how to be nice," Rachel shot back.

Quinn looked down and away from Rachel and drew her knees into her chest and rested her head on them. She looked out at the old park and said, "My dad says I'm not allowed to be friends with everyone. He'd be really angry if he knew I was here."

Rachel wasn't sure what to say to that. Her parents had told her that she could be friends with whomever she liked. Not that she had any, thanks in part to the girl sitting just a couple of feet away.

"Maybe if you didn't tell him who your friend was," Rachel suggested.

"Maybe," Quinn agreed. She wished she knew how to explain it better, but she was afraid of being caught. Her dad said lots of things and she never understood why she shouldn't say them too or why she shouldn't act the same way he did. She didn't understand why she'd gotten a spanking for fighting with Rachel because her dad always said those same things about the girl and her fathers. She didn't understand why her own mother didn't give her a big hug the way Ms. Corcoran had that one day when they'd had ice cream. The woman hadn't even scolded her when she dropped ice cream on her shirt. And most of all, she didn't understand how she'd had such a good time with Rachel and her mom when her dad always said that they were bad and that she shouldn't go near them. She'd had fun with Rachel, but she couldn't have fun with Rachel. Her parents said so and the other kids at school said so. She'd felt so bad about being mean to Rachel the day after they'd had ice cream and she'd never felt bad before. She almost asked her mom the next day if she could go to Rachel's house again, but she was afraid they would take her new little lamb away. Rachel was not allowed and Quinn knew that.

"Do they have names?" Quinn asked to break the silence that had settled over them.

"Of course," Rachel said. "You're petting Bernadette. That's Audra and Liza. Patti is by the box. Bette is still licking the bowl. And this one is my favorite," Rachel held up the one in her arms. "She's Barbra."

Rachel actually had no idea if all of the kittens were girls, but she didn't care. The names she had given them worked perfectly.

"Why don't you take them home?" Quinn asked.

"I can't. My dad's allergic and I'm not allowed to have a cat. I found the box two days ago. I think someone just left them here. There was a blanket over the box, but I could hear them crying. Maybe you could take them home!" Rachel would be sad not to be able to see her friends anymore, but at least they'd have a house and be taken care of.

"No," Quinn answered quickly. "I can't."

"Oh," Rachel sighed and held Barbra closer until she started to squirm to be let down.

"If your dad is allergic then doesn't he know you've been around some cats?" Quinn asked.

"My dads are out of town," Rachel said. "A friend of theirs got married in Chicago yesterday. They'll be back in a couple of days. I'll have it figured out by then."

"What are you going to do?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted.

"Oh." Quinn stopped petting Bernadette when the tiny kitten was ready to move away from her and explore with her siblings. "My dad is out of town too. For his job. He won't be back until the end of the week."

"Is that why you can ride over here?" Rachel asked and Quinn just shrugged.

They sat in silence for another few minutes as the kittens played around them. Neither girl really knew what to say and the longer it went on the more uncomfortable it became.

"I better go now," Rachel said. "My mom'll start to look for me soon."

"Ok," Quinn responded.

Together, they put the kittens back in the box and Rachel filled the bowl she had left in there with water. She then put the blanket back in place and repacked her book bag.

"If you want to, you can come to my house," Rachel said. She surprised even herself with the invitation, but she meant it.

"No," Quinn answered. "I have to go too."

"Ok."

"Will you be back here tomorrow?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah."

"Ok."

Quinn walked to her bike and rode off without looking back.

Quinn did go back the next day, but she didn't find the calm scene she'd found the day before. Rachel was urging the kittens to eat faster and to stop running around because they were going to have to go soon.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked with a hint of concern in her voice as she dropped her bike and made her way to the back corner of the park.

Rachel stopped what she was doing and looked up. "You came back."

"Yeah… What's wrong?"

"It's going to rain soon," Rachel said. "It's supposed to storm."

"Really?" Quinn asked. She looked up at the sky and saw storm clouds, but they looked to be some distance away. She hadn't even noticed. She wondered if she could make it home before it started raining. She didn't think her mom would like it if she came home soaking wet because she'd been farther away than she was supposed to be. She knew her dad wouldn't but he wasn't home.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "My mom was watching the news at lunchtime and the weather lady said that it was supposed to storm all night. I can't leave them out here in a storm, Quinn. They're so little. They'd be so scared." Rachel herself did not like thunderstorms. The thunder always made her jump.

"What are you going to do with them?" Quinn asked as she kneeled down on the ground next to Rachel. She'd never admit it, but she was scared of storms too even though she pretended not to be. But she did like the rain. And she thought the lightening was pretty. But sometimes the thunder was so loud it was like someone was yelling.

"I have to take them home," Rachel said. "I can hide them in my room until the storm is over. It's the only way, Quinn." Rachel spoke in a dramatic voice as if she were talking about some lifesaving surgery that needed to take place right there in that park.

It started to sprinkle then and both girls looked up and Quinn was surprised at how fast the storm clouds reached them. They both looked at each other for a second until a clap of thunder made them both jump and stand up. Quinn needed to get home.

"Quinn, will you help me carry the box to my house? Please? It's too heavy for me to carry on my own," Rachel said. "When I found it, I had to drag it back here. I can't drag it all the way home."

"I'm gonna get in trouble," Quinn murmured more for herself than for Rachel.

"Quinn, please," Rachel pleaded. "You can stay at my house and my mom can take you home." In her hurry to get the kittens inside, Rachel was forgetting that the scenario she laid out is exactly what would get Quinn in trouble.

The kittens were starting to mew louder now as they grew agitated with the weather.

"Ok," Quinn said.

They gathered up the kittens and put them in the box and Rachel did a last headcount to make sure she wasn't leaving anyone behind and then placed the blanket on top to protect them. Quinn held the handle on one end and Rachel the other and together they carried the box out of the park, only stopping long enough for Quinn to pick up her bike and helmet and balance them with her other hand.

They walked as quickly as they could back to Rachel's house, but were still completely drenched by the time they got there. The thunder was a little close for each of their likings and they were glad when they reached the porch. After setting the box down, Quinn put the kickstand down on her bike and dangled her helmet from the handlebars. She was glad there was a place to put it so that it wouldn't sit out in the rain. Her dad wouldn't like that.

Rachel opened the front door a stepped in a little bit and looked around. She had to make sure her mother wasn't anywhere she could see them. They needed to get the kittens up to Rachel's room and hidden for the night. She would figure out what to do tomorrow when the rain had stopped.

"Mama?" Rachel yelled. "Mom?"

"I'm in the basement, Rachel," Shelby yelled back. "I'm putting some laundry in the dryer, I'll be right up."

"Ok," Rachel yelled. "Come on, Quinn, we've got to hurry."

They picked the box up again and hurried into the house and headed straight for the stairs.

"Rach?" Shelby yelled when she got up to the main level. "Honey?"

"Quick," Rachel said when they reached her bedroom.

"Where are we going to hide them?" Quinn asked as Rachel shut the door.

"In the closet," Rachel said.

Rachel opened the door and they put the box inside, not bothering to put the blanket back in place on top when it fell off. There was no time. Rachel knew that her mother was probably on her way up there right now.

The closet door was closed just as the bedroom door was opened. Both girls spun around to face Shelby as she entered.

"Rachel? Oh," Shelby stopped short when she saw that Quinn was there as well. "Hello, Quinn."

"Hi, Ms. Corcoran," Quinn said with a smile.

"What's going on?" Shelby asked. Both girls were soaking wet.

"We got caught out in the storm," Rachel answered. "I told Quinn she could come in here."

"Why didn't you wait downstairs?" Shelby asked. "So you didn't get water and mud everywhere?" She was looking at their shoes and then raised an eyebrow at Rachel.

"I don't know," Rachel said.

"Rachel," Shelby scolded lightly. "Quinn, do your parents know where you are?"

Quinn hung her head and shrugged. Shelby was going to take that as a no.

"Are you allowed to ride your bike this far?" Shelby asked knowingly. Her parents had not seemed happy the last time she had dropped Quinn off. It was a lot farther than she would ever let Rachel ride her bike alone. Rachel wasn't allowed past the corner and she knew better than to break that rule.

"I'm usually home by now," Quinn answered.

"Quinn," Shelby used the same tone she had just used on Rachel.

Rachel wasn't paying attention to them because she had her ears trained on the closet to see if she could hear any of the kittens. They seemed to be staying quiet and she was pleased. They knew they needed to stay quiet so they wouldn't get caught. Her kittens were geniuses.

"Quinn, I'm going to call your house and let your parents know where you are," Shelby said.

"Just my mom's home," Quinn said. "My dad is out of town."

"I'll call her then," Shelby said.

"Can I call her?" Quinn asked. "I'll just tell her I'm at a friend's house and I'll be home after the storm ends."

Shelby sighed and understood Quinn's dilemma, but the little girl didn't understand that that's not how it worked. "I'm not going to lie to your mother, sweetheart, and neither are you. Don't worry; I'll explain. But first things first, I want both of you to go into the bathroom." She needed to get the wet girls off of her carpet.

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"You need to get dry and warm," Shelby said. Both girls were shivering now because the air conditioner running in the house. It was a hot summer storm they were having outside.

"But-"

"Now, Rachel. Come on. You too, Quinn."

The girls filed out in front of Shelby and into the hall bathroom that served as Rachel's. She grabbed them each a towel and handed it to them and instructed them to take their shoes and socks off.

"I'll just grab some clothes for you two to put on," Shelby said.

"Mama, bring us pajamas," Rachel said quickly.

"Pajamas?" Shelby asked. It was only four in the afternoon.

"We'll be more comfortable and Quinn probably won't fit into any of my clothes," Rachel said. And the pajamas weren't in the closet so her mom wouldn't have to go in there.

"Ok," Shelby said. "I'll be right back."

Shelby grabbed and extra towel and went into Rachel's room and put the towel down to try and dry some of the wet spots on the floor. Next she turned to the dresser to get a couple of old t-shirts and pajama pants. And a pair of panties for Rachel. She planned to put Quinn's clothes in the wash so she would have to hack it without until they were dry.

Shelby found a pair pajama pants that were still too big for Rachel and got them for Quinn and then pulled out the rest of the clothes. Rachel liked to sleep in old t-shirts that belonged to her parents so Shelby found two that had been hers once upon a time. They would be too big for both girls, but at least they'd be comfortable.

A tiny noise caught Shelby's attention and she stopped what she was doing so she could listen harder. She hadn't heard anything after a moment so she gathered the clothes up, but stopped when she heard it again. She listened for longer this time and turned her head towards the closet. What was that?

Shelby put the clothes down on Rachel's bed and went to the closet door and put her ear close to it so she could hear it again. It sounded like… cats. That was crazy. As she was opening the door to check, Shelby wondered if Rachel had left some toy or music on or someth- Kittens. And not just kittens; wet kittens.

Shelby gaped at what she saw. There were three cats climbing up the clothes hanging in Rachel's closet. And there was one more crawling around on the floor. They mewed louder when the noticed Shelby standing there. She stared at the wet box and the wet blanket and the wet kittens and it clicked in her head.

"Rachel Barbra Berry!"

Rachel's head shot up and she looked over at Quinn whose eyes were wide. That really could only mean one thing. Rachel left the bathroom with Quinn right behind and went into her room.

"Mommy?" she asked innocently.

"Don't you mommy me, young lady," Shelby said sternly. As sternly as one could look while holding two kittens with another was trying to climb up the leg of your pants. Another kitten was making a break from the closet and headed towards the bed.

"Why are there kittens in your closet?" Shelby asked.

"It was raining," Rachel said as if that explained everything.

"Get him before he goes under your bed," Shelby said.

"Bernadette, don't," Rachel said as she stepped forward to scoop up the kitten. Shelby just rolled her eyes at the name.

Quinn wisely stayed back by the door and didn't say anything.

"Rachel, where did these kittens come from?" Shelby asked.

"Someone left them in the box," Rachel said. "I couldn't leave them out in the rain. They're just babies."

"How many are there?" Shelby asked. She'd worry about the details in a few minutes because right now she needed to make sure that all the kittens were accounted for.

"Six," Rachel answered. "Barbra, Bette, Bernadette, Patti, Liza, and Audra."

Of course those where their names. Shelby did a quick head count and only saw four. She went into the closet and saw one more curled into a ball and sleeping in the box. She pulled it out into the room and set the two in her hands in it and pried the other off her pants. Rachel added hers.

"We're missing one," Shelby said.

"Liza's missing!" Rachel was much more panicked.

"Let's find her," Shelby said. The last thing she needed was a loose kitten in the house. She was already running through a list of things she'd have to clean and wash before Hiram came over and before Rachel went back because of his allergies. She'd have to wash all of the clothes in the closet. Shelby groaned.

Rachel went into the closet and got down on her hands and knees so she could search for the missing kitten.

"Liza," Rachel called softly.

Shelby started to look around the room and instructed Quinn to look under the bed. Quinn did as she was told, but she didn't see anything.

"Here she is!" Rachel said brightly. Shelby looked in saw the tiny kitten curled into one of Rachel's red shoes, sleeping.

Once Liza was returned to the box, Shelby put the blanket on top and carried the whole thing from the room.

"Where are you taking them?" Rachel said as she hurried after them. "Mama, you can't put them outside in the rain."

"Rachel, I'm not going to put them outside in the rain," Shelby said. She wasn't heartless. "I'm going to put them in the basement. You two wait here."

The girls waited in the kitchen while Shelby went into the basement. The woman set the box down and kept it covered. She tried to build a square around it by moving stuff to block the box in, but she was pretty sure the tiny cats could find a way out of it if they wanted.

Shelby returned to the kitchen and stood in front of the girls with her arms crossed over her chest. Quinn stood still and kept her eyes trained away from Shelby, but Rachel fidgeted from foot to foot and wouldn't look up at her mother.

"Rachel, where did those kittens come from?" Shelby asked.

"I found them in a box," Rachel said. "Someone just left them. I couldn't leave them all alone."

Shelby knew that. Rachel had a big heart and would have cared for any baby animal she'd found. "Why didn't you tell me you found a box of kittens?"

"Because I can't have a cat in the house," Rachel said.

"And yet there are six cats in my house," Shelby said.

"I was taking care of them," Rachel said. "But I couldn't leave them in the rain."

"Rachel, I know you mean well, but you needed to find these kittens help. They need food and shelter and shots and everything else. You haven't been scratched or bitten by one, have you?" Shelby asked.

"No," Rachel answered her. "And I've been making sure they drink. I've been giving them milk and water for a few days now and-"

"A few days?" Shelby cut her off. "I thought you found them today when it started to rain."

"Oh. Umm… No. I found them a few days ago," Rachel said. "And they're probably hungry now. They didn't get to finish all their milk before it started to rain." She was trying to change the subject away from how long she'd been looking after them.

"Where did you find them?" Shelby asked.

Rachel cast a quick glance over at Quinn who had no solutions for her the girl next to her.

"I just found them," Rachel said.

"I know that," Shelby told her. "Where?" Had someone dropped a box of kittens in her backyard and she didn't even know it?

"They sounded like they were crying," Rachel said. "The box was just out in the open."

"Where?" Shelby asked again, a little more forcefully. Why did she get the feeling she wasn't going to like this answer?

"Just a little ways down the street," Rachel answered. "You know… just a little ways."

"Rachel," Shelby threatened lowly.

"The old park," Rachel finally admitted.

Shelby's eyebrows shot up and she put her hands on her hips. "You are not allowed down to the old park by yourself, young lady. How long have you been going down there?"

"Eight days," Rachel answered dejectedly. Her career as a spy had only lasted eight days.

"Rachel, look at me," Shelby said in a serious voice that left Rachel no choice but to look up. "We will be talking about this later."

"Yes, Mama," Rachel whispered out.

A neighborhood away, Judy Fabray was on her front porch looking out into the pouring rain. She'd called Quinn's name countless times, but her daughter was clearly not around. The mother was growing more and more panicked. She had expected to see Quinn come in as soon as it started raining. She had been riding her bike, but she knew better than to stay out in a storm like this. Judy had called a few of her friends, but was getting the same answer. No one had seen Quinn.

**A/N – I hope you all like this one. The next (and final) chapter should be out tomorrow. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate the feedback. Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Here is part two as promised! Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews for the first chapter. And thank you also for all of the alerts and messages. I appreciate it. I hope this chapter does not disappoint. **

**Disclaimer – I don't own Glee. **

Shelby moved from her angry posture and sighed at her daughter's sneakiness. They had been over the reasons she wasn't allowed past the corner and she knew Rachel understood it. She didn't want to keep Rachel on a leash, but she was only eight and letting her go as far as the corner was more than enough freedom for the little girl. It seemed, though, that Shelby was going to have to curtail that for a little while.

But first things first, Shelby had other things she needed to take care of right now. She needed to call Judy Fabray and, most importantly, get the girls dry and warmed up.

The cordless phone in Judy's hand startled her when it rang. She was out on the back porch looking for any signs that her daughter was coming. She wanted to look one last time because she was about to grab her keys and head out in her car.

"Hello," Judy answered, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Mrs. Fabray, this is Shelby Corcoran. I have your daughter Quinn here at my house," Shelby said. The girls were still standing with her in the kitchen and Quinn sighed inwardly. She knew she'd be in trouble for being over here. Shelby gave her a sympathetic smile, but there was no way she wasn't going to call the girl's mother.

"Oh thank God," Judy said. "She didn't come home when it started to storm."

"She was over this way and she came inside with Rachel," Shelby said. "Both of them are soaked, but I've got some clothes already laid out for Quinn to change into."

"Thank you," Judy said sincerely. "I'm a little surprised though; she knows she's not supposed to ride that far." Judy was saying it more for herself than for Shelby. She knew, of course, that Quinn had ridden over that way once before, but that was because Francesca was home babysitting. Judy had been there with her when Quinn said she wanted to go and ride her bike.

"It seems as if your daughter is as sneaky as mine," Shelby said. Rachel looked anywhere but at her mother. "Rachel has been going down to the old park which is far beyond the limit she knows she's allowed to go by herself."

Judy laughed lightly surprising Shelby. The limited encounters she'd had with the woman had always been stiff and tense. She tried not to judge, but she always imagined Judy Fabray as stuffy and holier than thou.

"I'm glad mine isn't the only one then," Judy said.

"No, she certainly isn't," Shelby said. "Rachel and I will be having a talk about that later."

Shelby started to explain the kitten story to Judy, but all Rachel had heard was the promise of a talk later. Rachel gulped and Quinn looked at her. She knew her mother was going to tell her dad and then she'd be having a talk about it too. And she knew that her dad wasn't going to be happy she'd been caught playing with Rachel again. Plus to make it worse, she'd have to wait until the end of the week before he even got home. Judy hadn't ever really been the one to discipline the kids because Russell had always told her he'd handle it. Judy wasn't completely removed from it though because she was on the one at home with them during the day, and even more so now that it was summer. She scolded and popped backsides and had put her daughters in their fair share of time outs, but it was a rare occasion for Quinn or Frannie to find themselves over Judy's knee or receiving a grounding from her. Judy almost always deferred to Russell because he wanted to make those decisions. The girls knew it, of course, and Russell said it was good for them to have a healthy fear of him. He spoke of himself as the perfect father, even to his girls and they never argued it. They wouldn't dare.

"It sounds like Quinn and I will be having a talk later as well," Judy said. "Thank you for taking her in."

"Of course," Shelby said. Like there was any doubt she wouldn't let a child in her house to escape a storm. "She's more than welcome to stay and play for a while if she wants, if it's ok with you."

Quinn looked up suddenly and found herself hopeful. What would Santana think if she could see her now? Quinn pushed that thought away just like she was trying to push her dad's words away. She didn't think Rachel was really a freak and Quinn knew she liked Ms. Corcoran. She wanted to stay.

Judy thought for a moment about what her husband would be saying if he were home. He'd already be halfway to Shelby's house to get his errant child. But for all his talk, Judy knew Quinn better than Russell. She saw the sad child hidden behind the bully. She saw a girl whose friends liked because she was picking on other people. Quinn was close with Santana, but they often fought. Little Rachel Berry was her number one target, but for whatever reason, clearly Quinn found herself drawn to the smaller girl. Judy was not as oblivious as her husband and children seemed to think she was. Judy wished Russell saw the quiet dreamer Quinn really was and not the perfect child he wanted her to be. She wished she had the courage to stand up to her husband when he was around and not just in her thoughts while he was away. But she could do something now since he was gone. She could take a step forward for Quinn, even if she knew it wouldn't last.

"Can I talk to her for a second?" Judy asked.

"Of course," Shelby said. "Quinn, your mom would like to talk to you."

"Hi," Quinn said when she took the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hi, Quinnie," Judy greeted her. "You know better than to ride all the way over there."

"I know," Quinn said.

"We're going to talk about that later," her mother informed her. "Now, would you like to stay over there with Rachel?"

Quinn was stunned for a second? Had her mom really asked her that? "Really?"

"Yes," Judy said. "If you want to."

"I do," Quinn said quickly. "Please."

"Ok," Judy said. "Give the phone back to Ms. Corcoran."

Quinn handed the phone back and went and stood by Rachel, but Shelby did not miss the smile on her face. She was smiling, but she was also confused. She wasn't going to question that right now though. Rachel looked over at Quinn with equal confusion. Was Quinn staying there to play with her? She did not understand Quinn Fabray or her family.

"She can stay for a while," Judy said once Shelby was back on the phone. "She said she wanted to."

"She could even stay the night and make a slumber party out of it," Shelby suggested. "They seemed to be having fun and I'm going to need helpers to watch the kittens in my basement."

Rachel and Quinn stared at each other over the thought of a slumber party. Rachel couldn't believe that Quinn really wanted to stay and she couldn't believe that her mother was suggesting a sleepover right now. She thought she was in trouble. But she would certainly take this scenario over having a talk any day.

"Ok," Judy agreed. "I'll pack a little bag for her and bring some clothes by in a little while."

"Sounds perfect," Shelby said. "I planned to put them in the shower in a minute to get them warmed up and then changed into dry clothes. You'll probably be here by the time they're done."

"I will you see then," Judy said. She smiled at her decision as she hung up the phone and headed up to Quinn's room to get a bag together.

Shelby ushered the girls upstairs and picked up the clothes she'd left in Rachel's room and then got the girls into the shower, Quinn in the hall bathroom and Rachel in the one in the master bedroom. She then went back to the kitchen and poured a couple of bowls of milk and water for the kittens and carried them down into the basement. She sat down on the floor and took the blanket off the box and found all six kittens looking at her expectantly. She lifted them out two by two and set them down so they could get something to drink. She felt terrible about not having any real food for them to eat and knew she would have to go to the store eventually to get them something.

"You guys really are cute," Shelby said as she watched them roam around in the small enclosed area she'd created. "I don't see how anyone could just drop you off and leave you there."

One kitten tried to climb in her lap and Shelby picked her up and held her close just as Rachel had done in the park. The kitten snuggled close to her and Shelby could feel herself falling in love. Ok, she had to stop that. She could not have a cat. Hiram was just too allergic and they had all agreed when Rachel was a baby and households and arrangements were being set up, that no one would have a cat. It's not that Shelby really wanted a cat anyway, but she certainly wasn't immune to how cute they were. She was going to have to figure out what to do with them and fast before Rachel got even more attached.

Shelby only sat in the basement for a couple minutes longer before returning all of the kittens to the box and going to check on the girls. When she got to the second story, Shelby saw that the door to the bathroom was open

"Quinn?" Shelby said as she peeked in.

She saw that the girl was dressed in her borrowed pajamas and standing on the ledge of the tub trying to reach high enough to get the towel over the shower curtain rod.

"Quinn," Shelby admonished this time as she stepped into the room. "You're going to fall." She easily slipped an arm around the girl's slender waist and lifted her up.

"I was trying to hang the towel up so it would dry," Quinn said as Shelby set her on her feet. "But I couldn't reach."

"That's ok, sweetheart," Shelby said. "I've got it." She took the towel and easily slung it over the rod and spread it out.

"Thank you for letting me stay," Quinn said politely. "And for the clothes." The pajama bottoms fit, but the t-shirt was too big of course. The outfit had the same effect on Quinn as it always did on Rachel; it made the girls look even smaller.

"You're welcome," Shelby said. "We're happy to have you. But I don't want to hear or see any bullying or teasing tonight." Shelby was serious now and Quinn hung her head slightly.

"I won't, I promise!" Quinn said emphatically.

"Ok."

"Hey," Rachel said as she bounded down the hall and into the bathroom. "Can we go and see the kittens?"

"In a little while," Shelby said.

Shelby made quick work of drying the girls' hair as best she could, and then put it up in loose braids to allow it to dry completely. They made their way downstairs and the girls settled on the couch to watch some TV.

It was only a few minutes later when the doorbell rang. Rachel got up to answer it with Quinn trailing behind, but Shelby beat them both to the door. She opened it to reveal Judy Fabray on the other side holding a small pink book bag.

"Come in," Shelby said and they all stepped back to let Judy in.

Shelby took Quinn's bag from Judy and set it on the stairs as they made their way into the living room.

"You have a beautiful home, Ms. Corcoran," Judy said. She put a hand on Quinn's shoulder as they walked and rubbed her back slightly.

"Thank you. And please, call me Shelby. Quinn took a quick shower and finished up not too long ago. They've just been watching a little TV," Shelby told her.

"Thank you," Judy said.

"It's our pleasure," Shelby said. "Thank you for letting her stay." This was so awkward. The woman who commiserated with her on the phone about their naughty little girls seemed nowhere to be found now that they were face to face.

"She wanted to," Judy said with a small smile. "I think she'll have a good time."

"We hope so," Shelby said.

A stilted silence fell over them and Judy wished she could fix it. The girls naturally stayed by their parent and each looked at the other woman as if to say, now what. It was Rachel who decided to help things along.

"Can we go back and watch TV again?" the little girl asked.

Shelby was about to respond that they could, but Judy spoke up first.

"Quinn can in a few minutes, but I'd like to talk with her first," Judy said. "Shelby, do you have a bathroom or another room we can borrow?"

Rachel's eyes went wide and she looked at Quinn with sympathy. Quinn didn't understand Rachel's panicked look and moved so she could look up at her mom in confusion. Why would they talk in a bathroom?

"Of course. My office is right over there," Shelby said. "Take your time. It'll give me a chance to talk with Rachel as well."

Rachel gulped, but didn't look up at her mother. Now seemed like a good time to make herself scarce.

"Thank you," Judy said. "We won't be long." The mothers exchanged a glance and Shelby gave the woman a small smile at their impending shared responsibility. Both girls had broken the rules and, as much as Rachel may have wished, neither mother had forgotten.

Rachel stood still for a second as she watched Judy first pick up the pink book bag from the steps and then lead Quinn into the office and shut the door. She could feel her mother's presence behind her and she needed to think fast. She just needed to get out of the room and get her mother distracted with something else. It could work.

Shelby stood behind Rachel and watched her little daughter. She knew Rachel knew what was coming and she was simply waiting to see how the girl was going to react right now. Rachel never failed to make her smile and the girl's mischievous nature always made an appearance at times like this. She wanted to know what Rachel had planned right now.

Rachel tried to appear casual just before she tried to dart out of the room. The stairs were her goal and they were just a few feet away. Shelby smiled, but didn't let her get far.

"Oh no you don't," Shelby said as she reached down and scooped Rachel up before she could even go a few steps.

"Mama," Rachel whined as she squirmed to try and get down.

Shelby held her tightly as she stepped out of the living room and into the dining room and pulled out a chair so she could sit down. She set Rachel on the floor and made the girl stand in front of her.

"Stop squirming," Shelby instructed and Rachel stood still and pouted. "Why are you not allowed to go past the corner by yourself? Or past the yellow house or the red houses at your dads'?"

"So that you'll know where I am and know that I'm safe," Rachel said. She'd heard this all before. All three of her parents had sat her down and explained that she could play outside by herself as long as she followed the rules and stayed where they knew where she was.

"That's right," Shelby said. "You are not allowed to leave those areas because if you got hurt we wouldn't know where to find you and you might not be able to get back home. You are the most precious thing in mine and your dads' world and would be very sad if you got hurt and we couldn't find you. It scares me to know you went that far away and it scares me even more to know that you'd been doing it for so long without me even knowing. That is unacceptable, young lady."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said with her lip quivering and tears brimming in her eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just playing. And then I found the kittens and I just couldn't leave them there. I won't ever do it again."

Rachel stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around her mother's neck. Shelby leaned back in the chair and picked Rachel up off the floor and held her. Rachel let her tears fall and hoped her mother was sympathetic enough to let the talking to be the end of it.

"I understand that you want to play," Shelby said. "But you are too young to go any farther than that by yourself. So for the next week, seven days, Rachel, you are not allowed to play outside at all by yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama. But what happens when I go back to the other house?" Rachel asked.

"The same rule will still be in place when you're there," Shelby told her.

That was a conversation the men and Shelby had when Rachel was still a baby and they began to realize that the girl truly would go between the houses interchangeably. Punishments could be handed out by any parent, but they would all have to agree on groundings and such when she was older. She couldn't very well be grounded by her mother if she knew that it wouldn't matter a couple days later when she went back to her fathers' house. If the men had been in town, Shelby would have called them to talk about it so they knew and were on board. But they weren't there and Shelby wasn't afraid to hand down the sentence. She knew they would agree and enforce the punishment.

"Ok," Rachel said. She turned her head and rested it on her mom's shoulder. The restriction didn't sound fun, but Rachel was pleased with herself for convincing her mom not to give her the spanking she thought was coming. Maybe she could be a spy after all.

"And what did I tell you would happen if I ever found you breaking that rule?" Shelby asked ominously. Her grip tightened when Rachel immediately started to squirm to get away.

Rachel dismissed her spy career once again as she was placed across her mother's lap and she suddenly found herself looking at the hardwood floor. It had happened so fast and now she had no hope of escape. Her fate was sealed and her mother's promise began to be delivered to her backside.

Quinn and Judy entered the office the woman shut the door behind them. Judy took a seat and Quinn remained standing.

"Do you want to change or would you rather stay in the pajamas?" Judy asked kindly.

"I'll stay like this," Quinn said. She was comfortable. "But, Mom I don't have any panties on," Quinn said in a hushed tone. "Ms. Corcoran didn't have a new pair to give me."

"I've got some for you," Judy said with a smile as she opened the book bag to search through it. That was the reason she'd brought it in here because she knew her daughter and knew Quinn would be uncomfortable.

Judy handed the panties to Quinn and then looked away to give the girl some privacy so she could put them on.

"Ok," Quinn said when she was finished. She still wasn't sure what they were doing in there. After her mom said she could stay, she didn't expect to hear anything else about the fact that she was here at Rachel's. Because it was ok. She was getting to stay.

"Quinnie, you scared me," Judy said.

"I scared you?" Quinn asked.

"Yes. It started to storm and you didn't come inside and I had no idea where you were. You know you aren't supposed to ride your bike this far away," Judy admonished. "I had no idea where you were. I called some of your friends' houses and they didn't know where you were. Something could have happened to you or you might have been stuck somewhere. That's why you are not allowed to ride so far away. You are supposed to stay where I know where you are."

"I just like to ride farther than that though," Quinn said.

"That's not an excuse," Judy said. "Why do you think we have that rule in place?"

"Because Daddy doesn't want to me to come to this side of town," Quinn said echoing her father's words.

The other side of town was a horrible way to describe it because they really did just live in different neighborhoods in a large suburban sprawl. But Russell believed that they lived in a better neighborhood than those that surrounded him and he did not want his daughters leaving it. Frannie had never challenged this point and all of her friends lived over there as well. Quinn was different.

"That rule is in place so that we know where you are so that we can be sure you're safe," Judy said.

"Are you going to tell Daddy I was over here playing with Rachel?" Quinn asked. "Are you going to tell him I rode off again?" Tears shone in her eyes. "Why can I stay the night if you're just going to tell Daddy?" Quinn didn't understand everything, but she knew that wasn't fair.

"I'm not going to tell your father," Judy said.

"Really?" Quinn asked. One tear had managed to make its way down her cheek.

"Quinnie, listen to me," Judy said as she reached out and took the girl's hand and pulled her closer. She wiped the tear away before she continued speaking. "I know you want to be friends with Rachel."

"I don't, I promise," Quinn said quickly, thinking that the admission would get her in trouble. "I just-"

"Quinn," Judy silenced her. "It's ok to want to be friends with Rachel."

"What?" Quinn asked. She was so confused and she was getting upset. "But Daddy always says those things about her dads and he said that I'm not allowed to be her friend and that I can't come down here."

"Quinn, can you keep a secret?" Judy asked. "We are not going to tell your father that you rode your bike down here or that you are staying the night with Rachel and her mom. I want you to stay and have a good time tonight, but only if you can keep that secret."

"We're going to lie to him?" Quinn asked.

"No," Judy said. "We're just not going to mention it again. Quinn, your dad has a certain way of thinking and what he says goes." She shook her head. "But he's not home this week. And I think you should stay and have fun. And we'll keep it between us. It'll be our secret. Can you do that?"

Judy wanted to be able to give her daughter this chance because she could tell how much Quinn wanted it. She wanted to teach her that it was ok to like Rachel and Shelby. She just hated that she was teaching her daughter that it had to be a secret. But Russell dictated when he was home and she couldn't control or change that.

"I can really be friends with Rachel, but I have to pretend not to be when Daddy is home, right?" Quinn asked.

"Right," Judy confirmed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish you could come over here and play whenever you wanted, but you won't be able to."

"Why can't you just tell him to let me?" Quinn asked.

Judy held Quinn's hands closer and sighed. "I wish it was that simple, but it's not. Things have to be different when Daddy is home."

"I know," Quinn said sadly. "But it'll be our secret. Just between you and me, right?"

"Right," Judy said.

Quinn smiled. She loved her mother, but she felt closer to her right now than she ever had. They were talking about things that weren't just instructions to pick up her room or finish her dinner. They shared a secret now.

"Mommy, can I give you a hug?" Quinn asked shyly.

"Of course," Judy said as she bit back tears over the fact that her daughter felt she had to ask if she could hug her.

"Quinnie, I know I said I wasn't going to tell your father, but there will be a punishment for riding over here when you know you're not supposed to," Judy told her.

"But-" Quinn tried to argue as she stepped back from the hug.

"I'm sorry, but you know the rules and you broke them," Judy said.

"But if you're not going to tell, Daddy…"

"I'll take care of it," Judy said. "Come here."

"But I don't want-"

"I know you don't," Judy said. "And I don't want to, but we are." It was faint, but Judy could hear the first sounds of Rachel enduring the same fate Quinn was about to suffer.

Quinn was more stunned than anything as she was guided over her mother's lap. The last time the woman had spanked her was when she was five and had run out into the street causing a car to swerve. She remembered her mother running to her and pulling her into a hug before taking her inside.

"What you did was dangerous, Quinn and against the rules," Judy said. "You could have been hurt or trapped in that storm and I had no idea where you were. I love you too much to see you get hurt because you were disobeying. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Quinn said.

Judy didn't waste any more time on a lecture and brought her hand down on her daughter's pajama covered backside.

Rachel was sitting on Shelby's lap crying as the mother rocked her to try and soothe her stinging bottom and hurt feelings.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Rachel said through her tears.

"I know, sweetie. I do not want to catch you going past the corner again," Shelby instructed again.

"I won't, I promise," Rachel said.

"Good girl," Shelby said as she kissed Rachel's head. She could hear Judy finishing up with Quinn in the office. She knew sleepovers were usually rowdy events, but maybe she'd have two docile little girls on her hands tonight.

Judy stood Quinn up and pulled the crying girl to her and Quinn latched onto the hug.

"I'm sorry," Quinn cried.

"I know, Quinnie," Judy said. "I love you."

"I love you too," Quinn said.

Judy rubbed the girl's back and kissed her head and felt closer to her daughter than she had in a long time. She realized that this is what it felt like when her husband was not around. This was the mother she could be when her husband didn't control just about every decision made. She knew in this moment that one day she would have to divorce her husband for the sake of her daughters. But the thought that plagued her even worse than that, was the knowledge that she knew she couldn't do it yet.

Judy and Quinn came out of the office just as Shelby and Rachel were leaving the dining room. Both girls looked down to try and hide their red eyes and faces, as if they could keep it a secret.

"Ten minutes, Rachel," Shelby said and she pointed to the corner in the room that had played host to her daughter many times. She thought about ignoring this part since they had company, but Shelby didn't want to deviate from it. Corner time after a spanking and cuddles gave Rachel a chance to calm down even more. She usually turned away from her corner and went off to play as if nothing had happened.

Rachel looked up like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. She kept her head low as she made her way across the room to the time out.

"Quinn, you can join her," Judy said. "That corner there."

"Mom?"

"Go on," Judy instructed. Quinn had stood in her fair share of corners so this should be nothing new to her.

Quinn refused to look at Shelby as she passed and stood in the corner down the wall from where Rachel was standing. She was still sniffling and rubbing at her bottom, as was Rachel, she noticed.

"Would you like some coffee?" Shelby asked Judy after a moment of watching the girls.

"I'd love some," Judy smiled at her.

Rachel waited until the adults were out of the room and turned around and looked at Quinn. Quinn turned too and looked at Rachel. She smiled as she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. Rachel smiled too. The moment was a look of shared trouble and sympathy, mischief and possibilities. It was the look of friendship.

Five Days Later…

The sleepover had been a success and after the girls got over their punishment, they had played with the kittens and watched movies and giggled well into the night. They shared a hug the following day when Judy came by the collect Quinn and get her home. Shelby and Judy had talked for about twenty minutes which allowed Shelby to understand a bit of where Judy was coming from. She later tried to explain to Rachel that they wouldn't be able to see Quinn all the time and it would still be hard. She didn't get to be an everyday friend or even an every now and then friend, but they weren't going to forget her and they weren't going to give up. Rachel asked a lot of 'whys' but finally said she understood. Shelby knew she didn't get it completely, but left it where it was. Rachel declared Quinn her secret friend and immediately created four different spy scenarios in her head that would allow her to play with Quinn again. Shelby had chuckled when Rachel had scampered off up to her room saying she needed to make plans.

It hadn't taken Shelby long to find home for all six cats, two of which turned out to be boys. Rachel chose to ignore that fact and refused to change their names. Best of all Barbra the kitten was taken by their neighbor across the street and Rachel was given permission to visit her when she was at Shelby's as long as it was not just before she was set to go home to her dads'.

That Saturday afternoon, Shelby was on her way to the Berry house to pick up Rachel and take her to the grocery store. Rachel loved to go grocery shopping. Shelby didn't understand it because she had hated being dragged up and down every aisle when she was younger. Shelby was convinced she'd lost years of her life grocery shopping with her mother because the woman was so slow. But Rachel enjoyed it and that was enough for Shelby to want to bring her.

Shelby turned onto the street where the Berrys lived and saw Rachel playing in the front yard. She looked again, but didn't see one of the girl's fathers. Rachel was still restricted from playing outside alone. Rachel knew it and did Hiram and Leroy. They had been unhappy to hear about their daughter's transgression and had agreed with the punishment. And yet, there was the little imp outside by herself.

Rachel looked up when she heard the car coming and realized it was her mother. She dropped all of her toys and raced into the house although she knew her mother had seen her.

"Peanut, what's going on?" Hiram asked. He walked out of the kitchen carrying a dish towel he was using to dry dishes.

"Rach, you know we don't run in the house," Leroy said when Rachel sailed past him and skidded to a stop.

"She's here," Rachel whispered as she hid herself behind Leroy.

"Who-"

He was cut off when the front door opened and Shelby walked into the house with long, purposeful strides. She put her hands on her hips and stared down the two taller men in front of her. They both fidgeted in much the same way Rachel did when presented with the unrelenting, angry stare of her mother. Shelby not so secretly loved that she had this stance and look perfected. Her students were always scared to death too.

"You know, for some reason, I thought I saw Rachel playing outside by herself just now," Shelby said. "I know that can't be the case though because she's restricted from playing outside by herself for two more days."

"It's not my fault!" Rachel yelled out. "They knew I wasn't allowed!" She said it with such conviction that one might believe that her fathers had forced her outside to play alone against her will.

Shelby wanted to smirk, but didn't as she looked to Hiram and Leroy for an explanation.

"She needed some fresh air," Hiram said.

Shelby translated that into they had been sweet talked by their princess who was probably driving them crazy in the house.

"Sure she did," Shelby said.

"I was watching her from the window," Leroy said. "She'd only been out there about ten minutes."

"That's not the point," Shelby said. "Come on, Rachel, let's go to the grocery store. We'll give your fathers a chance to think about their actions."

Rachel giggled and stepped from behind Leroy to go with her mom. Whenever any of her parents put her in time out, they always told her to think about her actions. Rachel said a quick goodbye and then moved towards the front door and out of the house. Shelby just shook her head at the men and turned to follow Rachel. As she did so, Hiram quickly rolled up the hand towel and let it fly so that it snapped against Shelby's backside. She immediately stopped walking and put her hands back to rub the sting.

Shelby slowly turned and glared at the men in front of her, both of whom were doing nothing to hide their grins. A devious smile graced her lips as she advanced on them, only to be cut off by the sound of Rachel yelling for her.

"You better hurry," Leroy said.

"Yeah, she's outside alone," Hiram joined in the ribbing.

"You will try and remember that she's still being punished when I bring her back, right?" Shelby asked.

"We will," Hiram said sincerely.

"Won't happen again," Leroy said. They both knew the importance of backing each other up.

"Good. And perhaps you could both work on unraveling yourselves from around her little finger while we're gone," Shelby said.

Both men huffed haughtily as if they couldn't believe what they were being accused of.

"I know, a fruitless endeavor," Shelby said. "See you later."

Rachel and Shelby turned the corner near the checkout line in the grocery store and stopped when they saw Quinn, Judy, and Russell waiting in line. The man was complaining loudly about how long it was taking and how he shouldn't have agreed to stop and go with them while they were out. They had been on their way home from the club when Judy remembered some things they needed.

Quinn looked up and saw Rachel, but her face didn't change from the sad embarrassment it displayed as her dad kept trying to get the cashier to hurry up. Shelby smiled at the little girl and Rachel waved. Judy looked to see what Quinn was staring at then looked back as if she hadn't seen anything. She put a gentle hand on Quinn's head and smoothed down some of her hair.

Rachel dropped her hand and Shelby started to lead her forward. Russell looked up from getting his change and saw the little brunette girl looking at him and his family and he didn't like it.

"Don't pay them any attention, Quinn," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. He put a hand on Quinn's shoulder and steered her out towards the exit of the store. "They're not the type of people you should concern yourself with."

Neither of the Fabray women ever looked back as they exited the store.

If Rachel and Quinn weren't there, Shelby would not have had a problem following after Russell to tell him what she truly thought of him. But she would not do that in front of Quinn or her daughter. She would do what she and Hiram and Leroy always taught Rachel to do; hold her head up high and keep moving forward.

Shelby did just that, but it was much harder for Rachel. She leaned into Shelby's side and buried her face in her mom's shirt as they walked. Shelby put a comforting arm around Rachel's shoulders and pushed the cart with her other hand. The reality of a secret friendship came crashing down on her young daughter and it made Shelby's heart ache for her. The time spent huddled in the basement playing with kittens in a thunderstorm now seemed long forgotten in the harsh light of day.

**A/N – That's the end! I hope you like this one. Please, please leave me a review if you can and let me know what you thought. I value your comments so much. **

**Thank you all so much for indulging me and the one (and two) shots. There will be more Changed for the Better soon, I promise. **

**And a big thank you to Trebles and Tones who has been talking with me about the little world of Shelby and Rachel. It is much appreciated!**


End file.
